


Christmas Stories

by TheDragon456123



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Backstory, Christmas Fluff, Crossover, Cuddles, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Homelessness, Kissing, Love, M/M, Slight making out, Snow, Snowball Fight, Solangelo cuddles, Why?, agnsty Percy, blitzstone cuddles, clueless Magnus, sick!hearth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 07:26:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5530925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDragon456123/pseuds/TheDragon456123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a bunch of Christmas themed one-shots that will be updated yearly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The snow fell in pristine white sheets, settling in a thick blanket on the ground, covering the layers of dead leaves and dirt that had previously been there. The world was dead with winter, but seemed more alive than ever; many winter birds having the nerve to chirp merrily as if they had forgotten it wasn't summer anymore and, in fact, was near the end of the year. Will was sitting next to Nico on a dark brown leather couch, his arm around the younger teen, the head of whom was tucked in the crook of Will's shoulder, his eyes closed. Will twisted his fingers through Nico's soft black hair. A lively fire roared in the stone fireplace, casting pleasant heat and a ruddy glow throughout the small cabin.  
"Will?" Nico said sleepily, opening his dark eyes.  
"Yeah?" Will spoke in only a whisper, his breath brushing Nico's ear softly. They were sitting so close; no louder volume was needed.  
"Why are we here?" It was a strange question. There didn't have to be a reason to be in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, alone, on Christmas Eve.  
"I thought it would be nice to spend Christmas alone together without anyone to bother us."  
"Yeah…" Nico said quietly, "It's just…"  
"What is it?" Will hoped he hadn't done anything to upset Nico.  
"I've never really celebrated Christmas before."  
"Well we can change that. Bundle up: we're going outside."  
"But it's cold!" Nico protested as Will dragged him towards the bed room to get dressed.  
Five minutes later, Nico was standing on the porch of the cabin, staring out at the untouched wonderland before him. "Please Will; can't we just go back inside?" Nico wined.  
"Come on, Angel. It'll be fun!" Will pushed Nico forward, and he fell off the porch and into the snow. Will laughed and jumped after him, helping the son of Hades to his feet. They made snow angels (much to Nico's amusement as his last name meant "the angel"), and tried to build a snowman, which ended up as a mess on the ground.  
They stopped when Nico saw a small family of deer out a little ways into the forest. He was standing still, his back to Will, and he didn't seem to notice Will bending over and forming a ball of snow in his gloved hands. He didn't notice until the snowball hit him in the back.  
Nico turned slowly, and Will thought he was done for, but then a smile slit his pale face and he laughed. It was the first time Will had ever heard Nico laugh and he wouldn't mind if he had to listen to it for the rest of his life. His skin seemed to melt into the snow, as they were almost the same color, and his hair dark eyes were contrasted sharply with his surroundings. Nico made a snowball of his own and threw it at the older teen, successfully hitting Will's shoulder, then ducked behind a large rock.  
Will stealthily climbed the rock and peered over at Nico, who was looking on either side of the boulder, waiting for Will's attack. Will didn't let him wait, imminently leaping off the rock and tackling Nico. They rolled a couple feet before coming to a stop lying in the tousled snow, their noses and foreheads touching, panting as they stared into each other's eyes.  
"We should do this more often," Nico whispered. In response, Will closed the space between their faces in a deep kiss that lasted for a good five minutes until the cold snow forced them to go back inside.  
The couple was lying on the carpet next to the dying fire, the coals glowing softly but firmly with beautiful deep reds and oranges. Nico was resting his head on Will's chest, the arms of who was wrapped around the younger teen's body.  
"I love you, Angel," Will whispered. If Nico had heard him, Will would never be able to tell, for he was already asleep.  
"Come on, Angel. Wake up." Nico opened his eyes and groaned, pulling the blanket he and Will were sharing over his face. He felt Will shift under him, and looked up to blue eyes staring down into his own. Will leaned forward slightly and kissed Nico gently.  
"Good morning," Nico whispered in Will's ear.  
"Merry Christmas, Angel," Will said, kissing Nico's forehead. Nico rested his head back on Will's chest, sighing with contentment. Will twisted his fingers through his hair in a way he knew that Nico loved.  
"Will," Nico said, just to give the blonde the pleasure of hearing his name on his lips.  
"Nico," Will returned.  
"I love you so much," Nico whispered.  
"I love you too." The two boys kissed again, the kiss losing innocence as they went on. Nico ended up rolled on top of Will, kissing him passionately.  
"Whoa guys! Get a room!" Leo's vice cut through the not so silent cabin, interrupting the two teens. Nico rolled off of Will, blushing furiously. An Iris message had appeared a couple feet away from them, with all of the Seven crowded into view and Leo in front, wearing a Santa hat.  
"Camp's having an all-day Christmas party. You two are missing out."  
Nico rolled his eyes. "I bet we've had twice as much fun as you have. Why did you guys call?"  
Leo raised his eyebrows. "Jason and I had a bet. He said you two would be getting dirty in a bed. I said you would be wherever you happened to end up. The floor, the couch, a kitchen counter…" Leo continued listing places before Nico cut him off.  
"Okay! We get it!" Nico watched as Jason passed Leo a couple golden drachmas.  
"Merry Christmas, guys!" Percy yelled over Leo's shoulder before the connection was cut by Leo's hand.  
Will smiled at Nico and turned onto his side to face him. Their lips met again and they wrapped their arms around each other's bodies. They went on like that for an uncountable amount of time; Nico was in absolute bliss. Eventually, Will pulled away, his face flushed and gasping for air. "I'm going to make some hot chocolate, and then we can watch a Christmas movie."  
Nico nodded. While Will was in the kitchen, he stood up and moved back onto the couch were he and Will would be more comfortable. Will returned carrying to steaming mugs piled high with whipped cream. He settled on the couch next to Nico, who cuddled up next to him. Will grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.  
They ended up watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, which Nico found less than amusing, but he enjoyed being so close to Will. After the giant war, Nico and Will rarely got to spend any time alone with each other because Will was always in the infirmary and Nico was either passed out in his cabin or training to rebuild his strength. The time they did get was when Nico was in the infirmary getting a "checkup" ordered by Will every other day. Will had later confessed that he only did that so he could see Nico.  
Nico had never celebrated Christmas. Most people had assumed that, but Nico decided in this moment to change his ways. If Christmas meant he could do this with Will every year, he couldn't wait for it to come next year and all the following years thereupon. Before he fell asleep again, he heard Will whisper in his ear, "I love you."  
"I love you too," Nico breathed.


	2. Chapter 2

Snow fell in thick clouds, as it had for a week now, barely obscuring the strings of red and yellow and green lights that hung from storefronts and on the roofs of houses. We could hear faint Christmas music from inside the shops, and see trees shining inside windows. Walking past closed doors, I felt the warmth from within. The smell of snow and pine and roasted turkeys tickled my nostrils. Whole families would be gathering for a feast soon. I remembered the Christmases I would spend with my mom, the whole house decorated with holly and candles. We would sing and eat happily with no care, no idea what would happen in the future. Now, me and my family of three would sit around a trash can fire, feasting on gas station burritos.   
I heard a cough from my right, and glanced over at the two walking beside me. Hearth was directly next to me, his face buried in his striped scarf to ward off the cold, shivers racking his small body. He had been really weak recently, probably the start of a bad cold. He always seemed to get sick during the winter months. He stumbled and fell into the snow, but Blitz caught him and righted him, worry clear on his face. You okay? he signed. Hearth stared at him blearily, then, like a rag doll, collapsed, unconscious. Blitz and I both caught him from different sides, supporting him between us.   
"We need to get him warm," Blitz said, scooping the taller man into his arms as we started to walk quickly in the direction of our bridge.  
We had hitchhiked to New York for our "Christmas celebration", enjoying the lights and sounds and smells. Neither of us had noticed how cold Hearth had gotten. So, of course, we were miles away from where we planned to spend the night and we had a passed out Hearth to deal with.   
As we half walked (half jogged), we passed a woman standing out in the snow, under the awning of an apartment building. She looked to be about 45, with dark hair streaked with grey and a warm, matronly face. I looked at the ground as I walked, trying to ignore the fact that she was staring at us. "Hello!" she called. I looked up at her, but I didn't stop walking. "Merry Christmas!" I saw her take a few steps toward us before she noticed Hearth nuzzled into Blitz’s jacket, his shivers considerably more violent than they were before, small pants for air leaving his lips quickly. "Oh my god is he okay?!" Now she was right in front of us, and we couldn't avoid talking to her.   
"He's always been sensitive to cold. He's fine," Blitz said, drawing Hearth closer to him protectively. Hearth shifted a bit and whimpered.  
"Are you sure you don't need any help or anything?"   
"Nah," Blitz answered, "We have a trash can fire waiting for us a couple miles away, so he'll be fine once we get him warmed up."   
"Trash can... Wait so you're..."  
"Yeah," I said, shifting uncomfortably.   
Her face look pained. She looked towards the apartment indecisively. Then my stomach growled and she made her decision. "My family's almost done making dinner. You should join us. We can warm him up and give him some medicine. And no one should have to be cold and hungry on Christmas."  
I glanced at Blitz. We didn't tend to trust random ladies inviting homeless guys into their homes, but free food sounded awesome, and we needed to get Hearth out of the cold fast. "Are you sure it won't be too much trouble?" Blitz asked.  
"Not at all. We made more than enough food."  
Blitz hesitated, and then smiled. "Sounds great."  
The woman smiled widely. "Amazing! I'm Sally Jackson."  
"Blitz," Blitz said, shifting Hearth around in his arms and extending his hand to shake, "This is Magnus and Hearth."  
“Please, come in!” She led us into her apartment, and I immediately felt uncomfortable. The place was amazing: not too big, but beautiful all the less. Warmth enveloped me as soon as I stepped into the room, wonderful smells wafting around me and I had to stop for a moment to take everything in. Blitz and I were led into a large living room, with a crackling fire in the fireplace and a sparkling tree in one corner of the room. A bunch of teenagers were squeezed on couches and arm chairs, laughing merrily. I was painfully reminded of Christmas with my mom. Everyone stared up at us and the room went silent as we entered. “Everyone, this is Blitz, Hearth, and Magnus. They’ll be joining us for dinner.” I waved with my free hand.  
Sally shooed away a Latino teenager who sat on the couch closest to the fireplace making out rather messily with a brown haired girl, and helped Blitz lay Hearth on it, covering him in a warm wool blanket. Blitz sat down on the couch, lifting Hearth’s head so it sat in his lap and playing absentmindedly with his white-blond hair. I sat on the floor, leaning against Blitz’s legs.  
A lanky blond boy, who had just been cuddling with a way too skinny emo kid in an armchair next to us, ran over and knelt beside Hearth, putting his fingers on his neck to check his pulse and then, when he was satisfied, placed his hand on Hearth’s forehead. “He’s got a fever,” the dude said, “but I think it’s just a cold. You shouldn’t take him back outside until this storm stops, that’s for sure.” Then he frowned, his hand still on Hearth’s head. “I don’t know. This seems kind of weird. There’s a serious lack of Vitamin D. Does he get outside much?”  
“We live on the street,” Blitz reminded him.   
“Right. Okay. Just try and get him in the sun more if you can, and he should be fine.” The boy smiled. “I’m Will Solace.”  
“Magnus,” I said.  
A gasp came from the doorway into the kitchen. “Magnus!?!” A blond girl was standing in the door, holding hands with a boy with black hair and bright green eyes. The girl looked really familiar. It was something about her eyes… oh my god.  
“Annabeth?”  
“Oh gods Magnus you’re alive!”   
“You know him?” The black-haired dude (boyfriend?) asked.  
“He’s my cousin. He went missing two years ago.” Annabeth ran forwards and tackled me with a hug. “Why didn’t you find me? I could have helped you.”  
“Believe me, I thought about finding you, but…” l glanced at Hearth and Blitz.  
Her eyes softened. “It’s okay. I get it.”   
On the couch, Hearth stirred, curling in on himself and shivering, making a soft whimpering sound that he couldn’t have heard. Sally brought over another blanket and Blitz held him a bit tighter, trying to warm him up faster, but he really wasn’t looking good. His face was really pale, and his lips had turned a light shade of green, which I didn’t think was natural at all. Blitz looked really worried as well, which wasn’t a good sign.  
After it was revealed that I’m Annabeth’s cousin, everyone warmed up to me. There were introductions all around (Percy, Jason, Nico, Piper, Reyna, Frank, Hazel, Leo, Calypso, Paul); I was sure I would forget all of their names, but it was nice anyways. We talked and laughed for half an hour before Sally came out from the kitchen, announcing that the food was done. The group bee-lined for the kitchen, whooping and shoving each other playfully, and I followed.   
They all acted really happy (except maybe Nico), but there was something different about them. They all had this guarded and haunted look in their eyes, like they were constantly trying to fight back bad memories that were pushing towards the surface. Their eyes reminded me of a war veteran in Boston I talked to sometimes. They were always moving somehow, the same nervous energy that passed through all of them, their fingers tapping, their eyes flashing at every sound or movement.   
They all had scars too. Most of them were small and not very noticeable, mostly on their faces or arms, but there was a moment when one of the boys, Nico, had stretched and I saw the edge of what looked like a really big scar on his stomach peeking out under his hoodie. Something had happened to these people, but I wasn’t going to ask about it. I didn’t want to make these kids mad. They were all seriously ripped, even the smaller ones like Leo and Nico. This was the kind of muscle that could only be accomplished by hard, extended physical labor and I did not want to see what they could do with it.  
We ate in the living room because the dining room had no hope of fitting all of us, so once we had all filled our plates, we took our previous places. Blitz and I ate like starving homeless people, which we were. I knew my face was a mess. I should have cared more than I did, but this was the best food I had had in two years. I deserved to stuff my face.   
Hearth woke up halfway through dinner, groaning softly as his bright blue eyes blinked open. He looked around groggily for a moment before his eyes flew open all the way and he shot to his feet, his hand flying to a bag he always kept at his side. His scared eyes fell on me and he signed wildly, Where am I?   
Blitz stood and grabbed Hearth by his shoulders to get his attention, then let go to sign. We’re safe. You should lie down. Hearth relaxed a bit, and let Blitz lead him back to the couch where he reclaimed his position sitting up under a pile of blankets while Blitz left to get him some food. Sally appeared a moment later with a steaming cup of hot chocolate, which Hearth took with a small smile and a signed thank you.   
“Yeah sorry, but why do you guys keep talking in sign language?” Leo asked. He looked kind of uncomfortable with the way Hearth’s eyes focused on his lips when he spoke. It took me a while to get used to it too.  
“Hearth’s deaf,” I explained. We were used to having to explain this to people so it wasn’t awkward anymore. “He can read lips though, so you don’t need to worry about signing if you don’t know how to.”  
“I’m sorry,” Piper said quietly. Hearth brought up his hands to sign something, but he was interrupted by Sally entering the room, a squirming baby in a periwinkle onesie in her arms.   
“Look who’s awake!” she cheered.  
Percy ran over and took the baby from Sally, cradling her gently in his arms. “Hi Iris,” he cooed, rocking the girl slightly. She didn’t acknowledge him, and kept this faraway look in her eyes, scanning the room around her in a similar way Hearth did when he wasn’t having a conversation. Percy looked disappointed for a moment, but then he smiled and came over to sit next to me on the floor. “This is my little sister, Iris,” he said.   
I felt Hearth lean over my shoulder to look at her, his scarf hanging over the baby’s face. She giggled and reached up for it, and a small smile played over his face. Percy chuckled and handed her to Hearth, commenting, “She likes you. I guess it makes sense. She’s deaf too.”   
Hearth frowned, a look of sadness dancing in his eyes. “We’re all signed up for sign language classes so she’s as comfortable as possible growing up. I’m really looking forward to it.” Hearth stared at Percy for many long seconds. I had never seen him look so sad. Then he brought up his hands to sign and I translated, shocked at what I was saying.  
“She’s lucky. My parents never learned sign language. I guess it’s better off that way. I don’t think I would have wanted to know what they were saying to me at all. I ran away a couple years ago, met Blitz and Magnus, and I’ve been on the streets ever since. I like it better than my house though.” I looked up at Hearth. I had never heard that story before. The three of us would sometimes make up sob stories to tell people so they would give us food or money on purpose, but I had never heard this one before. I could tell by the pain in Hearth’s eyes that it was real.   
“My mom died in a fire,” the Latino kid in the corner said. I tapped Hearth’s shoulder to get his attention and then pointed to Leo and signed what he had said, then continued to translate as he told his story. “I never knew my dad. Everyone thought I started the fire, so you could guess how much my aunt wanted me live with her. Here’s a hint: not at all. I went into foster care, but it wasn’t really my style. I ran away a lot. Eventually I was sent to this boarding school for troubled kids where I met Jason and Piper here.” Piper, who was sitting next to Leo, wrapped her arm around his bony shoulder. He smiled at her. “And I’m glad I did.”   
“Ugh! Could you guys cut the sappiness? I think I’m gonna be sick.” Nico couldn’t talk about sappiness though. He was currently snuggled in an armchair with his boyfriend, a Santa hat atop his heard being the only color on his whole being. Will would occasionally lean over and kiss his cheek or neck or forehead, stopping every once and a while to whisper something in his ear that made his pale skin flush bright red.  
I glanced over at the kitchen. Surely Blitz would be done getting Hearth’s food by now. Instead I saw him talking urgently with Annabeth and Jason. They kept glancing at me and frowning. Annabeth had a look on her face like she was solving a really hard math problem. Then Jason noticed me watching them and he smiled at me. The three broke away. Blitz came into the room with a full plate of food (mostly vegetables since Hearth is a vegetarian when he can afford to be picky) and sat down next to Hearth, passing him the food carefully. How do you feel? He signed.  
Cold, he answered, his hands shaking, but a lot better.   
Blitz pressed his hand to Hearth’s forehead; Hearth’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment before he opened them again when the hand was taken away. Your fever went down a little, but I’m still gonna keep an eye on you, just in case.  
Hearth gave a tiny smile. You worry about me too much. I’m fine.   
You’re not fine! Blitz signed fiercely. You’re sick, and you know what winter does to your health.  
Hearth covered Blitz’s hands with his own, his way of telling him to be quiet. Then I guess you’ll just have to keep me warm. Hearth tucked himself into Blitz’s side, nuzzling his pointed nose into his neck. I suddenly felt my face heating up, like I was intruding on something strangely intimate, so I averted my eyes. Hearth was still holding Blitz’s hands, which meant so much more to him than just touching. His hands were his only way of communicating, his only direct line to other people. Blitz wrapped his arm gently around Hearth’s shoulder, pulling him closer.   
Jason was the next person to speak, telling us about how he wandered away from his mom and sister when he was very young. Many years later, he was reunited with his sister only to find out that his mother had been killed in a car crash. He never knew his dad. As a couple others told their own pasts, I began to see a common trend. Each of them claimed that they had never met one of their parents, and their stories all seemed to have holes in them, like things were being changed or left out. I wondered if this house was some kind of orphanage or something.  
I had never been in a room where people were so fast to trust each other. Stories that people would usually be reluctant to tell now came out easily; something had just clicked between us that I couldn’t explain. What I didn’t expect was for the emo kid to say anything. During an awkward moment of silence, I noticed him looking extremely conflicted, like he was stuck between two possible future realities, but neither would end happily. Finally, he took a deep breath.  
“I lived in Italy for the first six years of my life,” he started. Now that I thought about it, he did have a slight accent. “It was just me, my mom, and my sister. We were pretty happy, but then my dad asked her to move to America to be with him. Something happened to our plane on the way over and my mom was killed. Bianca and I both suffered head injuries and lost many of our memories, mostly of our dad. We made it to America and lived on the streets for a while.” Then Nico gave Percy a cold look, though I had no idea why. Percy “Bianca was attacked and killed by an angry drunk dude when I was ten.” Percy winced.   
“After that it’s been misfortune after misfortune; my life has been a living Hell.” Percy and Annabeth both paled simultaneously, glancing at each other with a look I couldn’t place. “It’s been a lot better with these guys around though.” Will kissed Nico’s cheek and hugged him closer, whispering something in his ear lovingly.   
Now, the only person who hadn’t shared was Percy, but by the hard look on his face, I didn’t think he would talk anytime soon.   
The night was growing old, yet our conversations were unhindered as we abandoned the dark themes in favor of much lighter topics. Hearth, who had grown much stronger as the night wore on, was conversing in sign language with Nico, who apparently could use it fluently. I had gotten into an energetic chat with Percy, Reyna, Jason, and Annabeth, which consisted of finding and sharing the most embarrassing stories we could think of about others in room. Leo and Calypso had not so subtly snuck off into another room ages ago. Hazel and Frank had fallen asleep cuddling on the floor by the fire. Piper and Blitz were deep in an exchange about fashion of all things. I’d have to remember to tease Blitz about this later.  
Later. I didn’t want to think about that. I knew I couldn’t stay here forever; I’d have to leave eventually, but still, this was one of the best moments of my sorry life, and I wasn’t ready to leave it behind. Everyone here was amazingly nice; Sally Jackson was sweet and reminded me of my mother, and Paul promised he would name characters in his book after all of us. Blitz and Hearth seemed really happy too. I began to consider moving us from Boston to New York, that way we could stay in touch with these people and get food and shelter when we needed it. We could be happy here.  
Now it was well past midnight and the festivities were slowing down. Hearth had fallen asleep in Blitz’s lap, and Nico and Will were also asleep, curled up against each other in a single armchair. I myself was starting to feel drowsy from the combination of a full belly and a warm fire. It was when my eyes were half closed and the fire was nothing but a blood red glow when Percy finally broke the silence.   
“My dad was lost a sea before I was born,” he started quietly. “It was just me and my mom for a while, and we had a lot of trouble with money and time, especially since I couldn’t stay in one school for more than a year without getting kicked out for one reason or another. Then mom got married to a guy named Gabe.” Percy shuddered. “He had money, but he wasted it all on beer and gambling and cigarettes. I hated him. He’d always push me around and sometimes he’d hit me, but he told me that if I didn’t fight back and I didn’t tell Mom, he wouldn’t touch her, so I kept quiet.” A strangled gasp came from the doorway into the kitchen.   
“He told me the same thing about you,” Sally said, running forward and hugging Percy tightly, tears falling down her face. “I’m so sorry Percy. If I had known…”  
“No mom, it’s okay. He’s gone now; it’s in the past.” He hugged her back fiercely. “I love you.”  
And with that, my eyes fell closed, and I drifted off to the land of dreams, where for the first time in two years, my mind was free of the raging wolves.   
Epilogue:  
Percy was awoken by a loud, impatient knock on the door. He groaned and stumbled to the door, nearly tripping on his friends, many of whom were still sprawled out on the floor. Who the hell could that be? Percy thought it might be his dad, and he stood up straighter as he opened the door. He gawked at what he saw.  
“Why?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solangelo meeting at the ER on Christmas and falling in love instantly because I'm trash.

“Diangelo?” Nico’s head perked up. He had been sitting in the ER waiting room for hours now with no help. The muggers had taken his phone and wallet, so he had absolutely nothing to entertain him, save for the tiny TV wedged in the corner, with no sound and subtitles that were so far behind Nico had made a game out of trying to remember what he had seen so he could match it to the subtitles a minute later. It was fun enough, but Nico had quickly grown tired of the same late night/early morning news show that would usually only cater to drunk bums still slumped in their armchair in front of their TVs.  
Nico stood. His hope was to make it to the other side of the room without making a fool of himself. He failed. Halfway to where the nurse had called him from, a wave of dizziness hit him full force. Maybe it was the blood loss, or the concussion, but Nico suddenly found himself stumbling into a thankfully empty chair and sprawling on the floor. He groaned. His vision faded out for a moment, and when it came back there was an angel hovering above him. His head was ringed in a halo of golden blonde hair, his eyes glowing a beautiful sky blue. Freckles were splashed across his upturned nose and bronze cheeks. His pink lips were moving, but it took Nico a moment to comprehend what he was saying.  
“…he’s really flushed. Bring a wheelchair over here! Hey. Can you hear me?” The guy’s hand cupped Nico cheek, and it was so warm Nico almost nuzzled into his palm… shit there must be something really wrong with him. He locked his eyes on the nurse’s mouth, focusing in again on what he was saying. “You’re going to be fine. You just blacked out, okay? I’m gonna take you back and get you fixed up. Do you need help getting into the wheelchair?”   
Suddenly Nico remembered that he had actual working muscles, and was capable of movement. He lifted himself onto his elbows. “Um… no. I can walk.”  
The hot nurse frowned. “I don’t want to risk you blacking out again. Come on.”   
With incredible care, the nurse snaked one hand behind Nico’s back and around his waist, and offered his other arm for him to grab on to. Nico could feel his face burning tomato red as he was deposited in a wheelchair. He was wheeled down a hall and into a small room. When the nurse made to help him onto the standard bed/table Nico shrugged him off. His touch was intoxicatingly warm, and Nico didn’t want to get burned. He settled awkwardly on the edge of the table, his heels bumping the sides. Not being able to touch the floor didn’t help the helpless feeling that was quickly swallowing him.   
“I’m Will Solace. I’m going to do everything I can to take of you until a doctor can come see you, but I’m afraid we’re a little short tonight, so it’s gonna be a while.” As he talked, Will puttered around, checking all sorts of things, attaching a heart monitor to Nico, and shining a light in his eyes. “Can you tell me what happened?”   
“I was mugged.”  
Will blinked. “Wow. Okay. Where are you hurt? Can you specify a certain place?”  
“Um… I don’t know. It was all kind of a blur. I hit my head pretty hard. And one of them had a knife… I’m pretty sure I didn’t like… get stabbed or anything but I might have a few cuts. Otherwise it’s all just bruises.”   
“Have you called the police?”  
“No. They took my phone and my wallet.” Will typed something on his tablet, biting his lip.  
“How did you get here?”   
Nico shrugged. “I walked.”  
“On that leg?!”   
“What?” Nico glanced down at his legs. His dark jeans were torn and soaked black with blood. Through a rip, he could make out a long cut, the details of which he couldn’t make out behind the blood and woah there was a lot of blood. “Oh,” he said blankly. He must have been really messed up not to have noticed that. Now that he realized it was there though, it was really starting to sting. Nico clenched his fists.   
“We’ll start there. I’m gonna bring you something for the pain, so just hang tight. That’s gonna need stitches.”  
Will slipped out of the room, leaving Nico alone. He really didn’t want to get stitches, but the cut did look bad. Now that Nico was alone, he tried to remember the details of what had happened. He had little flashes of memory: being pinned down on the concrete with a pistol pressed to his forehead, the flash of a knife, panic. Nico squeezed his eyes closed tightly, forcing deep breaths through his lungs, inflating them like stubborn balloons. It was only a few moments later when Will reappeared, rolling a cart of supplies with him. “You can go ahead and lay down,” he said, his voice overly cheerful. Nico did so, laying his head gingerly on the head-rest, tilted slightly to the side to not aggravate the raised bruises on the back of his head.   
Will dragged up a stool next to Nico, setting the Italian boy’s arm palm up to access the crook of his elbow. He set up the IV stand, then wiped his skin with a wet cotton pad. He tied a red rubber strap around Nico’s upper arm, then rubbed the inside of his arm with his calloused fingertips. Nico shivered. “Your veins are really visible,” he commented, preparing the needle. “I’m going to give you morphine through this IV to help with the pain, then we’ll get started on the stitches.” Will inserted the needle, using his left hand to hold Nico’s arm still and keeping up a steady stream of chatter. If it had been anyone else, he would have just wanted him to shut up, but from Will the talking was kind of nice because Nico’s grip on himself was slipping and he really needed a distraction. The whole night was catching up on him all at once, and that combined with the morphine already fogging up his brain was making him unreasonably emotional.  
Nico had slept in that morning, staying in bed until 1:00 PM. He’d been awake for hours, but he just couldn’t find any motivation to get up. It was Christmas Eve. He should’ve been preparing to see his family and have a huge dinner and inevitably get in an argument with one of them, then go home frustrated and exhausted and not ready to see them again tomorrow morning, but all of Nico’s family was either dead or on the other side of the country. He would not be spending any time with his family this Christmas. Percy had extended an invitation for him to come over and spend the holiday with his family, but Nico had told him he had plans. It was lie but he really couldn’t stand the thought of watching Percy laugh and talk with his big, happy, living family. Eventually Nico started feeling really pathetic and got up to eat, only to find his fridge and cabinets empty. He’d given up and gone back to mope in bed, sleeping for another few hours before hunger took over and forced him out of his cave. He stayed out late, wandering the city and trying not to wallow in his misery. That’s when he was attacked, passing through a dangerous area, slightly tipsy, and far from home. Christmas used to be the best part of Nico’s year, but now it was just frustrating, a painful reminder of what he couldn’t have.  
“Hey um… I’m not really supposed to do this but if you want to call your family and tell them where you are, you can use my cell phone.” Will finished taping the IV line down, then stared up at him with those huge, baby blue eyes.  
Nico winced. He felt tears of frustration building in his eyes, but he didn’t let them fall. His situation was just so unfair. He couldn’t stand it. “No um… I don’t need to call anyone.”  
“You sure? I don’t want to leave anyone worrying about you if you couldn’t contact them before.”   
Nico took a deep breath, trying to calm the stirring panic in the pit if his stomach. “I don’t have anyone to call. Let it go.”   
Will was silent for a short moment his hands going still, staring at Nico. “Oh… I’m sorry.” He swapped the IV supplies for a pair of scissors, moving down to Nico’s leg. “I glad these aren’t particularly nice pants. I’m gonna have to cut this leg off.” Will paused for a moment, then his eyes crinkled up adorably and he let out a surprised laugh. Nico was so caught up in how adorable he looked when he laughed that it took a moment to comprehend what he said next. “The pants, I mean. I’m not going to cut your leg off, I swear.” Will chuckled again. God, he was cute.  
“What?” Will asked, raising his eyebrows.  
Nico frowned. “What?”  
“You said… You said I was cute?”  
“Out loud?”  
“Yeah.”   
Nico blinked slowly at Will. He didn’t mean to do that. “Oh… That wasn’t on purpose.”  
“The morphine can make you kind of loopy,” Will explained. Nico felt personally insulted by the drug. How dare it make him call a cute guy cute?   
Will then went about cutting away Nico’s left pants leg to look at the cut. It wasn’t as long as he had originally though it would be, but it was deep and nasty. Nico cringed and glanced away from the nurse’s steady hands as Will cleaned it, and then started stitching it carefully. Thanks to the morphine, all he felt was an odd tugging sensation, and Will managed to distract him from even that. Nico couldn’t tear his eyes away from him: his nimble fingers manipulating the thread expertly but gently, the natural upward curve of the corners of his full lips, like he was always thinking about something pleasant, and the soft set to his blue eyes, like there was nothing he cared about more than the now only half open wound in front of him. He was the exact definition of everything Nico would want in a boyfriend. When Will was finished, he glanced up at Nico, catching him staring and grinning easily. “Hi,” he chuckled, a cheery glint in his eye.  
“Hi,” Nico responded dumbly. This was so unfair. He was trapped in a room with the cutest guy he had ever met, and the morphine he was on was making him act like a total idiot, but Will didn’t seem to care that much… unless Nico was completely delusional. That had to be it. A god like this would never be into Nico, an actual goblin. He probably wasn’t into guys. Nico was never that lucky. Was Will into guys…?  
“I am actually,” Will responded. He had glided on his stool up to Nico’s head to examine the bump, his long fingers running gently through his hair.  
“You are what?” Nico asked, dumbfounded. Was he thinking aloud again?  
“Into guys. You seemed to be wondering. I’m bisexual.”   
“Cool,” Nico said. Cool? That’s the best he could come up with?  
“What about you?” Will asked conversationally, grabbing an ice pack from the cart.  
Nico spluttered for a moment before he remembered himself. “I’m gay. I thought I was in love with my straight friend Percy for a few years, but then I realized that was stupid and I didn’t even like him that much so I got over it. I’ve never really dated anyone though.” Ok that was too much information. Will took it in stride, nodding attentively. He probably dealt with this a lot.  
“Your head looks pretty good to me. You may have a very minor concussion, but it’s nothing to be worried about. You’ll probably experience some nausea and dizzy spells. Can you hold this ice on your head to get the swelling down?” Nico reached out to grab the ice pack, and their fingers brushed. He felt his breath catch, his heart skipping a beat as electricity raced under his skin. He wanted to grab on to Will’s hand and never let go, but he resisted the urge, drawing away reluctantly. A glance at the nurse found him blushing, rubbing his arm awkwardly. Nico knew heat was rising in his cheeks too. He pressed the ice pack to the back of his head, trying to ignore the fact that his face was probably tomato red.   
The rest of the exam went similarly: awkward and stumbling, both of their faces flushed as Nico said things he didn’t mean to and Will flirted shamelessly. When it was over, the blond pronounced him healthy enough to leave as long as he was careful and came back to be checked over again. As Will was slipping out of the room, he paused. "Hey um… My shift ends in a few minutes. I know you can’t get a ride and my apartment is really close to here so you can come stay with me tonight if you want. No one should have to be alone on Christmas.”  
It was a bad idea. The last thing Nico wanted to do was get attached to this guy. But what other choice did he have? He didn’t have a car, or a wallet to pay for a cab ride, or a phone to call someone to pick him up. “Sure.”  
The car ride wasn’t as awkward as Nico thought it would be. Will turned on the radio, renditions of the same ten Christmas songs floating out of it, and Nico napped in his seat for most of the ride. When the car stopped, Nico found moving nearly impossible. He was just so warm and comfortable, combined with the exhaustion from the day. He was vaguely aware of Will coming around the passenger seat, unbuckling him, wrestling him out of his seat and supporting him into an elevator and up to the apartment. He blinked slowly as Will set him down on his bed with a cup of cocoa (where did that even come from?) and then disappeared out of his line of sight, only to come back a moment later changed into snowman pajamas and holding some sweatpants and a t-shirt. “Can you change yourself or do you want me to help?” he asked, his voice soft.  
Nico made an unintelligible noise, pawing noncommittally at the clothes Will had set next to him. Will chuckled, sitting Nico up and pulling his shirt up over his head. Nico was too tired to care that he was practically naked in front of Will. When he was changed into fresh clothes, Will tucked Nico into the bed and made to go into the living room. “Wait!” Nico slurred. Will stopped, turned around to look at him, cocking an eyebrow.  
“Yes?”  
How was Nico supposed to say this to Will. Could he just come out and say, ‘I’m really tired and feeling kind of freaked out and for some reason I’m really attracted to you so can you please stay here while I sleep?’ No, he couldn’t just say that.  
“Y’know,” Will said, a glint in his eye, “I think you might need someone to keep an eye on you. I’m going to sleep in here with you for tonight. For medical reasons, of course.”   
Nico smiled. “Medical reasons,” he repeated. He scooted over to make room for Will, who slipped easily under the covers.  
“Merry Christmas.”  
“Merry Christmas.”  
Nico fell asleep tucked against Will’s chest, warm, safe, and happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing about how hospitals work so don't get upset with me. This isn't meant to be informational.

**Author's Note:**

> K so Merry Christmas everyone and have a great year and I hope you liked this. If you have any suggestions for next year let me know please.


End file.
